Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-09-12
THE MINISTRY AND THE RIOT.
Neither Defense Nor Apology Seeded-La-
bouchere's Assertion.


LONDON Sept l2-1he riot at Mitchell.
town Friday created considerable excitement
and not little alarm when the first reports
of the occurrence We're received, but the min,
istry have recovered their equanimity, and
are now inclined TO treat the affair as one
requiring neither defense nor apology. The
Couser vative members have full sense of
the gravity of the occurrence, and do not hes
itate to express their hopes and fears. Their
greatest concern is in the possibility that its
influence may initiate with the electors of
the country against the coercion policy of the
government, but most of them appear to have
confidence that the government will be en-
ahled TO give amply satisfactory reasons for
the conduct of the police, and thus avert the
danger of losing votes
In the house of commons Saturday even
ing, Sexton appealed to the government to
give such justification as it could for the
''murderous acts of the police at Mitchell
town. Upon every previous occasion, he
said application had been made for the &C.
commodation of government reporter, but
this time another course had been adopted
with the apparent object of exciting the pas
siors of the people, and provoking them to
violence The catastrophe was the inevitable
result of the language aud acts Of the govern
ment.
Bafour replied that Sections account of
the affair differed from that received by the
government According to the latter an
unprovoked assault was made upon the
police, of most brutal and violent character,
which compelled the police to fire upon the
mob in self defense If the government account
was true, as he believed II was there had
never been a more wanton attack upon the
police. The government reporter, said Bal
four under an escort of police attempted to
approach vehicle from which speakers were
going to address the people. Condor shouted
to the people to close up against the police.
That was the signal for an assault on the
police The responsibility for the riot rested
with band OF politicians calling themselves
leaders of the Irish people, who spoke OF
government reporters as spies. J. OConnor
justified Mr.. Condons advice to the people to
close their ranks Irish memb rs, he said,
were doing their best TO restrain the people
while Irish officials were doing their utmost
to provoke them.
Sir Edward J. Reed. member for Cardiff,
warned the government that the English
electors would resent interference with public
meetings.
All of the abest Conservatives aud Liberal
members who coud I've reached by mail,
telegraph, or messenger, have been notified
of the urgent necessity for their attendance,
and are rushing back to London as fast a.
possible, and the session promises to close in a
high fever.
Labouchere in a letter describing the
Al. L.
the barracks he saw the policemen drag two
men inside, beating them with bludgeons as
they lay face downward There was nc
justification whatever for the assault by the
police. He never saw such au offensive
specimen of an official with brute force al
his back as head constable Brownrigg